The invention set forth in this application pertains to new and improved oxygen therapy apparatus.
For many years it was, and in many hospitals, it still is customary to maintain a given oxygen level in the blood of an individual by constantly and directly supplying oxygen to the individual so that some of such oxygen can be inhaled. With this "direct" procedure various different means such as nasal cannula, masks or tent-like enclosures are from an appropriate source such as a supply tank used to convey and/or confine the oxygen supplied so that it will be inhaled during inhalation. While the procedure of directly supplying oxygen as noted is effective for its intended purpose it is also somewhat wasteful and hazardous. This is because some of the oxygen supplied is vented to the ambient air and because the concentration of oxygen generally within proximity of the patient may be sufficiently high to create a hazard.
It is previously been recognized that the quantity of oxygen required to maintain such a specific oxygen level in the blood can be reduced from that required by the prior "direct" type of procedure by utilizing what may be referred to as an "indirect" type of method. The latter involves utilizing an apparatus generally between the patient and the oxygen source which receives the oxygen supplied for ultimate use by the patient and then transmits it to the patient. This latter method involves capturing the initial portion of the breath exhaled by a patient and then venting the remainder of the exhaled breath to the ambient while concurrently displacing some of the captured, exhaled breath with oxygen. This latter method also involves having the patient next breathing in the oxygen which displaced some of the exhaled breath at the start of inhalation and then breathing in the oxygen supplied to the equipment used and ambient air until the close of the exhalation cycle when inhalation again commences.
Although it is been recognized that a number of differently designed pieces of equipment or apparatuses are at least in theory capable of being utilized in carrying out an indirect procedure as briefly indicated in the preceding for supplying oxygen to an individual up to present time it has been considered that it was preferable to utilize a single specific type of equipment in practicing this indirect method. It is not considered that an understanding of this invention requires a detailed discussion as to why this is the case. It is, however, considered important to note that the particular type of apparatus considered preferable is constructed so as to appear more or less like an inflated, almost balloon-like enlarged handle bar mustache. This "mustache" type of apparatus is worn generally between the upper lip and the nose of a patient and extends along the sides of the cheek of an individual wearing it. It includes nasal cannula used to convey gas to and from the nostrils as the apparatus is used.
Such a "mustache" apparatus is somewhat undesirable from an appearance standpoint and on occasion is not as comfortable to wear as a patient may desire. Further, because of the location where such a mustache device is worn there is always a remote chance that the device may be accidentally or inadvertently disloged from an operative position or otherwise rendered inoperative. Although the chances of this occurring are relatively limited they cannot be completely neglected.